Arzat Marie Garabédian travels throughout France in search of anything connected with tableware. She personally restores old, quaint objects which have suffered the ravages of time. You’ll find magnificent silver table settings, ornate metal trays and a host of unusual 19th century to 1930s items... Tue-Sat 11am to 7pm, Mon 2-6:30pm, 6 rue St-Placide, 6e, M° St-Placide, tel 01 42 84 20 66
Geneviève Lethu You’ll find everything here: from the most refined, classic corkscrews, to salad bowls in faïence or transparent, leaf-encrusted salad bowls (560F), as well as napkins with superb floral designs (445F) and matching plates in beautiful colors (55F per plate). A perfect shop for presents for every occasion. Mon-Sat 10:15am to 7pm, 95 rue de Rennes, 6e, M° Rennes, tel: 01 45 44 40 35 28 (among other branches throughout Paris).
Graine d’Interieur This boutique, specializing in decoration, has a counter called “Round the Table,” where you’ll find attractive plates in a large number of colors (from 19F), and imaginative, hand-painted crockery (59F per plate) which goes in the dishwasher. The heights of refinement, you can match your table setting with your kitchen tiles! Don’t miss the counter devoted to table linen, where there are a multiplicity of tablecloths in cotton or organdi. Some kitchen accessories (mixers, scales, toasters, sieves...). Mon-Sat 10am to 7pm, 41 rue St-Placide, 6e, M° Sèvres-Babylone, tel 01 42 22 31 32
Les Etains du Marais A pewter manufacturer since 1913, this boutique also repairs objects made of other metals. A very good section for tableware: bonbonnière with ribbons (350F), vases for a single flower (250F) or bouquet (from 279F). Mon-Fri 9am to noon and 1-5:30pm, 26 rue des Gravilliers, 3e, M° Arts-et-Métiers, tel: 01 42 78 73 70
La Rochère Specializing in glassware and tableware, this shop sells objects manufactured in its workshops in Franche-Comté. Lamps, in particular... Art Nouveau objects from 1 655F, candlesticks, vases (from 150F), glass goblets with bee reliefs (22F), as well as very attractive copies of works from the famous School of Nancy. Mon-Sun 11am to 7:30pm, 41 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4e, M° Rambuteau, tel: 01 42 72 08 07
Xanadou
A fabulous array of table and household objects created by the most famous international designers and architects. Big names like Philippe Starck, Aldo Rossi, Christophe Pillet, Javier Mariscal, Mario Botta.... Candlesticks, plates, trays, cutlery... from 30F for an ultra-graphic spoon to 22 000F for a solid silver teapot. Daily 11am to 1pm and 2-7pm, 10 rue St-Suplice. 6e, tel: 01 43 26 73 43, M° St-Suplice.
Maison de Famille Visit this boutique as you would a house, moving from the sitting room with its various odds-and-ends, to the dining-room with its tableware, to the kitchen with its utensils, and finally to the bathroom, with its towels. The atmosphere’s cozy and the objects are in good taste. Pleasant table setting coordinates — some simple and transparent, others more intricately decorated, for instance with colonial designs — are on display, along with table mats in plaited rattan and organdi napkins. Mon-Sat 10:30am to 7pm, 29 rue St-Sulpice, 6e, tel: 01 40 46 97 47. Other addresses — 1 rue Garancière, 6e, M° St-Sulpice, tel 01 46 33 41 58 and 10 pl de la Madeleine, 8e, tel: 01 53 45 82 00
Plastique Continually updated to suit modern tastes, plastic is in all our homes. Its colors are tangy and its price range equally attractive. This shop specializes in this material and features a variety of objects from salad bowls to keyrings. Daily 10:15am to 7pm, Sat 10:15am to 7:30pm, 103 rue de Rennes, 6e, M° Rennes. tel: 01 45 48 75 88
Bernardaud Established in 1863, Bernardaud is famous throughout the world. Magnificent porcelain settings with stripes or floral designs and gold-bordered (plates from 250F), but also vases and tea services. The very top in French refinement. Mon-Fri 9:30am to 6:30pm, Sat 10am to 7pm, 11 rue Royale, 8e, M° Madeleine, tel: 01 47 42 82 66.
Territoire People come to this shop, which looks a touch rustic to find luxurious presents from all regions of France, the most trendy object or the lastest fashion. The country/seaside atmosphere’s everywhere, with a pleasant “new ecology” side to it. Come for something outlandish and the chances are you’ll leave with a traditional set of Laguiole table knives or a book of gourmet regional recipes... A place where it’s good to be seen strolling around. Mon-Sat 10:30am to 7pm, 30 rue Boissy-d’Anglas, 8e, M° Concorde, tel: 01 42 66 22 13.
Le Cèdre rouge A mix of exotic and “country-style” items — table sets, terracotta plates and lemon-relief dishes... but also very beautiful painted wood furniture. Take a peek at the garden teak, and look at their lamps and ceramic flower-pot covers. Tue-Fri 10:45am to 7pm, Mon 12:45-7pm, Sat 10:15am to 7pm, 25 rue Duphot, 8e, M° Madeleine, tel: 01 42 61 81 81 — and further branches throughout Paris including 22 av Victoria, 1er, M° Châtelet, tel: 01 42 33 71 05
Porthault This famous specialist in chic household linen is becoming more “democratic” now that the founder’s grandson is at the helm. A new line called “Prestige” offers competitive and affordable prices: porcelain teacups for 233F, cotton tablecloths, silver-plated knives and forks, tablemats. Mon-Sat 10am to 7pm, 370 rue St-Honoré, 1er, M° Tuileries, tel: 01 47 03 09 43
Cristallerie de Paris An unlimited choice of table settings, including the biggest names in porcelain and crystal: Haviland, Saint-Louis, Raynaud, Daum, Baccarat. Superb collections of plates in a variety of shapes and with many designs, some classic and some modern. Good ideas for presents, for all occasions. And, a very pleasant reception... Mon-Sat 9:30am to 6:30pm, 1 rue de Paradis, 10e, M° Château-d’Eau, tel: 01 47 70 20 54
La Tisanière An attractive shop, full of white porcelain, glass, all sorts of odds-and-ends and crystal, displayed on a shop floor measuring 250 square meters — champagne buckets, ice-cream cups, glass lamps, carriage clocks, and gadgets such as animal-shaped boxes or old-fashioned wooden plaques (295F). Regular discounts on table settings manufactured by the shop itself — a set of six plates for 95F. Frequent fresh consignments of stock. Mon-Sat 10am to 6:30pm, 21 rue de Paradis, 10e, M° Poissonnière, tel: 01 47 70 22 80
Decorating your apartment with a French touch
